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Meet the Governors

  • Iain Smith

    Iain Smith is Chair of the College’s governing body and has been a member since 1986. He is also Chair of the Search Committee and is a member of the Finance & General Purposes Committee. Iain is a qualified accountant and has more than 25 years experience in senior roles with major financial companies in finance, business and risk roles. Iain has long-standing connections with the local community having worked for many years for Woolwich Building Society, later PLC.

  • Jason Choy

    Jason Choy is Chair of the Audit Committee and has been a member of the Governors since 2006. Jason has a background in facilities management and project management and is currently Chief Executive of Welcome Gate, a global security solutions company that he founded in 2003.

  • Cllr Denise Hyland

    Cllr Denise Hyland was first appointed to the College governing body in 2006 and was re-appointed in 2010. She is a member of the Standards Committee. Denise is a Councillor for the Abbey Wood ward of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and has been a councillor since 2006. She is the lead Cabinet member for Regeneration, Enterprise and Skills. Denise’s background is in teaching and she has taught in primary and secondary schools and also in youth and adult education. In her private life, she is a partner in an Independent Education Consultancy, working outside the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

  • Cllr Jackie Smith

    Cllr Jackie Smith was first appointed to the College governing body in 2010. She is a Councillor for the Thamesmead Moorings ward of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and is the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People. Jackie held positions on the London Councils’ Children and Young People Forum , the London Youth Crime Prevention Board, the London Councils’ Regional Planning Group for 14-19 provision and the London Councils’ Safeguarding Children Group. Jackie has over 20 years experience as a social worker.

  • Pary Azad

    Pary Azad is one of two student governors serving in the academic year 2012-13. Pary is studying Level 3 ICT and is active in the Student Council at the College. She plans to study Accounts and Finance at university after leaving Greenwich Community College. Her hobbies include travelling and socialising.

  • Donatella Struga

    Donatella Struga is one of the two student governors at the College. Donatella is studying BTEC Fashion Art and Design. She is also Secretary of the Student Council as well as being a course rep and ambassador. Donatella wants to progress to higher education to pursue her ambition of becoming a fashion designer.

  • Jon Killingley

    Jon Killingley has been a member of the College governing body since 2008. Jon is a member of the Audit Committee. A Chartered Accountant by background, Jon is a specialist in audit with Ernst and Young LLP and lived locally in the Greenwich area for many years.

  • Laura Whitwell

    Laura Whitwell joined the College Governing body in 2013. She is a fundraising specialist with a particular focus on statutory and foundation funding, and has worked for a range of UK and international development charities focusing on agriculture, health and education. Laura lives locally in south east London.

  • Nola Ishmael OBE

    Nola Ishmael is Vice Chair of the College governing body and has been a member since 1992. She is a qualified nurse by background and in 2008 was named by the Nursing Times as the 5th most influential nurse since the creation of the NHS in 1948. Nola has worked in a range of clinical and management roles in the NHS including as a Director of Nursing Services, Professional Personal Assistant to the Chief Nurse of England and Community Nursing Manager. She is currently Deputy Director of Nursing and Clinical Standards in Brent. Nola was awarded the OBE for her services to Nursing in 2000 and received an Honorary Doctorate from Birmingham City University in 2003.

  • Richard Bourne OBE

    Richard Bourne joined the College governing body in 2011 and lives in Greenwich. He is a member of the Standards Committee. Richard has a background in journalism (The Guardian, New Society, the London Evening Standard) and more recently in international development, working with Commonwealth organisations. He was Deputy Director at the Commonwealth Institute, Kensington from 1982-1989, established the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative which is now based in Delhi, and was first head of the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit, now called the Commonwealth Advisory Bureau, from 1999-2005. Richard is currently Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Secretary of the Ramphal Institute. Richard has a keen interest in multicultural education and is the author of a number of books. He was awarded the OBE for his services to the modern Commonwealth in 2002.

  • Helen Vautier

    Helen Vautier joined the College Governing body in 2012. She is a practising lawyer with a specialism in employment law. She also undertakes voluntary work mentoring young lawyers. Helen lives locally in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

  • Stacy Bailey

    Stacy Bailey joined the college governing body in 2012 and is a member of the Finance and General Purposes Committee. An HR specialist and member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), she works for the Royal Borough of Greenwich and has experience of the further education sector.

  • Chris Pataky

    Christopher Pataky has been a member of the College Governing body since December 2012. Chris’s career has involved working in healthcare as a nurse and manager before re-training as a barrister. He has worked as an employed barrister within the field of healthcare regulation for the last four years. He has extensive experience as a manager and lives locally in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

  • William Lindsay

    William Lindsay is the teaching staff governor on the College Corporation. William has taught at Greenwich Community College since 2001 and became a full time lecturer in 2003. Prior to becoming a teacher he worked in accounting and administrative positions in a number of South London SMEs. William’s teaching at the College started with the AAT programme and then unto the AVCE, BTEC, Applied Business and A-Level Accounting and Business Studies courses. He has since been an active and resourceful tutor at the College contributing to the success of countless young and adult learners over the years.

  • John Ettridge

    John was elected to the College Governors in 2011 as a staff member. He is the College’s Facilities Manager and he has worked at the college since 1994. John is a member of the Audit Committee of the College.

  • Gary Chin

    Gary Chin is the Principal of Greenwich Community College and was appointed to the role in 2011. He is a member of the Finance and General Purposes Committee and Search Committee. Gary has over twenty five years working experience in further and higher education having previously worked at North East Surrey College of Technology (Nescot), Greenwich Community College (GCC), Woolwich College, South Thames College and London Southbank University. Gary holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Henley Management College, is a Fellow member of Chartered Association of Certified Accountants and Fellow member of the Association of Accounting Technicians. Gary is very active with the Network for Black Professionals, a body promoting and encouraging black and minority employees into more senior roles, providing regular financial and funding training to aspiring college managers.

  • David Round

    David Round is the part time Clerk to the Corporation and was appointed in 2012. He has a background in further and higher education, careers education and project and operational management in the private and third sectors.